McDonald's App as a Signal for Help... Dongseo University Students Win Two Red Dot 'Best of the Best' Awards

Competition Among 8,000 Works Worldwide: Two "Best of the Best" and One "Winner"


Solutions for Victims Unable to Report and for Expired Pharmaceuticals: Addressing Everyday Issues


Dongseo University Secures 48 Red Dot Awards in 12 Years; Ceremony to Be Held in Berlin in November

#. An ordinary McDonald's app order was transformed into a signal for help. At first glance, things might seem normal, but subtle changes in text warned of the dangers of expired pharmaceuticals. These ideas clinched the highest honors at a global design stage.

Dongseo University (President Jang Je-guk) announced on September 7 that it has won both two "Best of the Best" awards and one "Winner" at the "2026 Germany Red Dot Award" simultaneously.

The Red Dot Award is an international design competition that began in Germany in 1955. Along with the iF and IDEA awards, it is considered one of the world’s top three design awards. This year, approximately 8,000 entries from more than 50 countries were submitted, and 24 world-renowned creators participated as judges.

Students from Dongseo University awarded at the Red Dot Award.

The works that received the highest honor, "Best of the Best," this year are "McDonald's Fake Meal" and "No Take."

"McDonald's Fake Meal" is an app-based emergency request solution designed for victims who find it difficult to report dangerous situations directly. Users can pre-set a "Fake Menu" and order it as they normally would, which then triggers location information and a rescue request to be sent via GPS to the nearest police station.

The key to this idea is that it enables users to signal for help through a routine food order without alerting those around them.

"No Take" highlights the problem with pharmaceuticals whose external appearance does not change significantly even after their expiration date, making it hard to notice possible risks. The design changes the text on the package from "Tylenol Take as needed" to "NO TAKE" after a certain period following opening. This visually indicates the point at which the medicine should no longer be consumed.

"Bite Care," which received the "Winner" award, addresses the issue of early detection of kidney disease in senior dogs. Sensors embedded in toys used during play measure urea, sodium, and potassium in the dog's saliva. The measurement data is transmitted to an app, providing an early warning of any abnormal signs.

All three works originated from the convergence courses "Ideation Convergence Practice" and "Creative Problem Solving," which were operated with support from the Dongseo University Innovation Support Project Group and the AI Convergence Education Center. Professors Ryu Dosang and Moon Mikyung guided the projects.

With these latest awards, Dongseo University has received a total of 48 Red Dot Award trophies in 12 years since 2015: 7 for "Best of the Best" and 41 for "Winner."

The award-winning works will be included in the "2026/2027 Red Dot Brand & Communications Yearbook" and will be showcased through both online and offline exhibitions. The "Best of the Best" selections will be placed on permanent display at the Red Dot exhibition center in Berlin, Germany. The official awards ceremony and gala show will take place in Berlin, Germany, on November 7, with the winning students also scheduled to attend.

Han Yu-jin, a third-year student in the Department of Advertising and Public Relations who participated in "No Take," said, "It is truly overwhelming to receive such a meaningful award on the world stage, and I feel proud to have my abilities recognized globally."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.